


A gift for Yuletide

by Niahara_Erskine



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dragon Age Secret Santa 2015, Gen, Gift for Skireblog, Tumblr Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-09 01:46:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5520845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niahara_Erskine/pseuds/Niahara_Erskine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, creating the perfect gift isn't as easy as it seems, especially when said gift is for one particularly contrary Seeker. Yet, Varric is never one to back down in face of a struggle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A gift for Yuletide

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skireblog](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=skireblog).



“Well shit! This isn’t working…”

Fingers rubbed at tired eyes, the light of the candle flickering to the point of dying – the third one that night – and even so he was far from finished. Papers laid scattered all around him, the desk veritably buried under them. Some, rumpled and thorn, had been thrown carelessly on the floor, making an odd sort of decoration on the thick, red, carpet. Others, ink stained and slashed from top to bottom were still burning in the fireplace, bits of words disappearing under the flames. Only few of them had survived the wretched treatment, placed gently to the side, half bound and still waiting for an end.

“It’s the last time I let Poppy drag me into this nonsense.”

Varric rose from his seat, bones popping from the strain of sitting too long in the same position, battling words that seemed to elude him. The whole secret gift giving business the Inquisitor had proposed had seemed fun in the beginning; pick a name, keep silent about who you picked and then surprise the person with a gift on Yuletide. Only, his treacherous piece of paper had said Cassandra Penthagast and not surprisingly, her gift was being quite as contrary as the woman herself.

“Bugger it all. I need a drink.”

Skyhold was silent, the darkness of the night having enveloped the citadel and the courtyard in a blanket that seemed to lull all but one to sleep. Varric descended the stone steps leading to the main hall, feet taking him towards the Tavern, the only place apart from his own quarters where light still shone. However, the usual noise and bustle of the Tavern seemed subdued as well, as if all had fallen asleep in anticipation of the celebration to come. He pushed the door open, unsurprised to find the place empty save for a few guards here and there that had fallen asleep with mugs in their hands. 

Two mugs of ale later – and several grunts offered by the bartender who was just as sleepy as the patrons – and Varric was no closer to deciding on an ending to his gift for the Seeker

“Words flow fast on the page in the begging. Clear, precise, wanting to be written. But the end comes and the tune changes. Joy takes over sorrow and the characters smile. Yet the end doesn’t want to arrive. It fights and struggles. Papers burn in the fireplace. Ink stains on the sheets. Why can’t I finish it?” Cole appeared out of the blue as was his habit, legs crossed under him on the table where he had showed himself. “You’re stuck.”

“Kid,” a sigh accompanied the greeting, yet Varric made no attempt to deny the claim. “Yeah, guess so. Turns out there are harder things to write than the next chapter of Swords and Shields. Who would have thought?”

“She read it to me once. Happy, giddy, eyes devouring each word. Fingers turning each page with care. Eager, waiting to discover the end. Even my presence did not disturb her as it used to.” Grey eyes turned towards Varric, head cocked to one side as Cole confessed. “Neither of us liked the Captain. “

“Kid, that was the whole point. No one’s supposed to like the Captain.” Varric grinned, sipping some of his ale. “He’s not the villain of that story for nothing.”

“Cassandra wanted to know more about the archer girl. Such a small role, yet still important. Brave and daring, she would make a good protagonist. Why did Varric forget about her in the next chapter? Quick, fearless, proud, she reminds me of the Inquisitor. Burdened, yet unbent. I want to see if she finds her brother. Is he still alive? Will she ever find him?”

“The archer girl? She wasn’t important.” He had forgotten about her. A small cameo, a character to fill in some of the blanks that needed to be filled and he had promptly abandoned her, the girl’s one chapter appearance being enough to satisfy the plot of that story. She wasn’t supposed to be more than a fleeting presence, someone to help the main character before she was back on her way. But, maybe he could do something about it now.

“You have an idea.”

A pleased smile bloomed on Cole’s lips as he regarded Varric and promptly disappeared again.

“Heh, yeah, looks like I do have an idea.”

Humming to himself, he downed the remaining ale and left the Tavern. It seemed he would be able to finish the Seeker’s gift after all.

  
.  
.  
.  


The following shriek of surprise that came the next day – blackmail material to boot - when the Seeker discovered her gift is well worth the sleepless night spent rewriting the story.


End file.
